Shoe and shank stiffener therefor



June 5, 1939 K w. H, NlcKERsoN 2,161,188

SHOE AND SHANK STIFFENER THEREFOR Filed Aug. 4, 1937 ff' fg/@m Y ZZ/ml/Zamm @Lt nm. fw

Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES v 2,161,188 SHOE AND SHANKSTIFFENEB., THEREFQR William H. Nickerson, Newton Senter; Mass'.

Application, August 4,

8 Claims.

This invention relates tov shoe manufacture and is particularlyconcerned with shoes having stilieners or arch supporters in the shankportion of their bottoms. Its object is to: provide a means by which abetter anchorage may be obtained for the cementsfand adhesives which, insome v makes of shoe, are appliedv between the shank stiffener andtheinner or outer sole, and by which to eliminate or minimi-ze squeakingwhen the shoe is ilexed with movements of the wearers foot-in walking.These objects are accomplished by providing metallic shank stiffeners,arch supports,

and the like, which mayotherwise be of standard materials, dimensionsand shape, or of any other suitable shapes, with a multiplicity of smalllow protuberances on at least one surface, and in at least the midportion of the length of such surface, which protuberances are adaptedto bear on their summits against the adjacent surfaces of'one of the'soles (outer sole orr innersole) of the shoe; in providing a network ofshallow channels between and aroundsuch protuberances adapted to receiveand conne cement; and in effecting such an engagement between thesotreated side of the 'stiffener or support in the adjacent surfacel ofa shoe sole, as to expel the cement wholly or in largemeasure frombetween the protuberancesand the adjacent sole, causing theprotuberances to emerge from the cement covering and forming narrowflexible ridges of cement adhering to the shoe sole surface -and0ccupying the channels between the protuberances. The invention consistsin a shoe having a shank stifener or arch supportof the characterindicated; the combination between such a stiiener, the adjacent shoesole and interposed ridges of cement; the new shank stiffenerconstituting a part of such a combination; and the method of combiningthe stifener and sole in a shoe in such manner as to achieve the desiredobjects.

The drawing furnished herewith shows an i1- lustrative embodiment of theinvention and the parts thereof.

Fig. 1 is a side view ofv a shoe, partly broken away to show its bottomin longitudinal section,

, 'containing the shankconstruction of this invention;

Fig. V2 is aside elevation of the shank stiffener shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an under plan view of the same shank stiffener;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of another type of shank stiffener,which is also sometimes called van arch support, embodying theinvention; Y

Fig. 5'is a longitudinal. section of a fragment of 1937.",A Seria-1;.Noa, 157333.71

(Cl. 12i-14r2)f .they shank portion of. thefshoe bottom. shown on, an

enlargedi scale; with exaggeration of the width and depth of the;channels between the surface protuberances. of the stiifener toillustrate in principle the manner in which contactl between the,Astiiener` and. sole is. limited and cement. is disposed in.interlocking. engagement` with the protuberances;

Fig. 6; is. aA cross section through the shank portionl of the shoe.'bottom. on the line 6.-6, of Fig. 5 andv shown` on the. same exaggeratedscale.

Like reference characters designate' the same parts. wherever theyAoccur in. all' the figures.

The shoe here illustrated. has an innersole a, arr outer sole b and ashank stiffener c placed between: the| inner and. outer soles andmadefast to the former at one .or both ends by. a. tack or tacksdJ d', orothersui'tabl'e-v fastening means, such: asintegral? prongs.. etc. Y

The shank stiffener' c is given a longitudinally curved? or arched shapecorresponding to that of thel shoe with which it is designed to be used,and itis transversely curved with a trough-likeformation makes iteonvexon' one side and concave on the other. Such transverse curvature' existsi-n4 varying degrees in thema-jor part of the length of the-stiiener butdiminishes and disappears at andlneartheextremities Such stiffenersarecustomarilycut from 'at ship orI sheet steel andy brought intonnalformby4 pressing and bending between suitable dies.

Thestiffene-r is embossed ontheside which pro- Vides the transverselyconvex formation sov as tov make numerous' `protuberances or humps e,located near to one another, but at the same time distinctlyV spacedvapart and separated by intermediate channels ordepressions. Theseprojections' and channels arev most practicably produced bypassing thestrip or sheet stee1,rin the nal stepofrolling to; final thickness,between rollsY of which one has a suitably engraved or pitted' surface.When the stiilener blanks are Ygrooved and'roifset, the embossedy sideis placed next to the concave grooving/ die, whereby in thefinishedstifrener4 the`r embossments or protuberances are caused to lieon the convex side. Suchy protuberancesl lie beside one another4throi-lghout the enti-re wid-th of the stiffener.

The outlines of the protuberances and their disposition with respect toone another may be 1 regular orirrtegular, and. their contours inprofile may berour-rdedk orabrupt inY any desired measure. Those in the:specimens; from. which the; illustrations-.inthe presentdrawing; weremade are-nearly flat on. the1 summitsxand: have steep declivities attheir sides, such that their areas at the summit are but little, if atall, larger than at the base. They are more or less irregular andunequal in outline and dimensions, the average of their length and widthdimensions being in the order of from one to three thirty-seconds of aninch. The depth of the intermediate valleys or channels is very small,being in the order of a few thousandths of an inch, which is but a smallfraction, about one tenth or less, of the usual thickness of the stockfrom which stiffeners are made. These dimensions, however, are notlimiting but illustrative, and may be considerably varied within thescope of the invention, provided the depressions are not so deep as toweaken the stiffener or requiring it to be made objectionably heavy inorder to have the necessary strength, or deep enough to mold ridges ofcement so thick as to be brittle when dry.

Contact between the convex side of the stiffener and the adjacent shoesole, (in theillustrated case the outer sole), is limited to the summitsof the projections.V Hence the areas of contact are small and separatefrom one another, but numerous. They are so narrow also that two or morepoints of contact are found in `nearly every transverse section of theshank. I have found in practice that with this construction thereisrsubstantially complete elimination of squeaking due to rubbing of theembossed surface of the stiifener on the adjacent surface of the shoesole with the movements of the wearers foot in walking.

When cement is used between the stiifener and sole, the latter ispressed and held against the stiffener with such force as to cause theprojections to penetrate the cement coating and substantially expelcement from between their summits and the contiguous surface of thesole. When the cement occupying the channels between the projectionssets or dries to solid condition it interlocks Ywith the projections andmore securely retains the stiifener against displacement than is done byadhesion alone. Theinterlockingridges of cement thus formed are so lowin height, due to the shallowness of the channels, that they remainflexible even when hard and dry and retain their emciency as mechanicallocking projections independently of the bond due to adhesion alone,which latter may be soon broken.

VThe condition in which the cement exists, is illustrated in anexaggerated way in Figs. 5 and 6. The protuberances e bear closelyagainst the inner surface of the outer sole, and may even indent thissurface to some extent. 'I'he cement lies in the form of irregularprojections j occupying the channels between the protuberances of theshank stiifener. The condition thus illustrated and described is that inthe tangent Zone between the convex side of the stiffener and theadjacent surface of the outer sole. The condition of the cement ateither side of this Zone is unimportant, for it is only at the ContactZone, of course, that squeaking due to rub o f the stiffener on theouter sole can occur, and it is here that the ridges of cement performtheir intended function.

The same essential invention may be embodied in shoes of all sizes andstyles which have shank stiffeners, and in connection with stiffeners ofother dimensions and contours,

An illustration of such another stiifener is given in Fig'. 4 of thedrawing where a so called arch support 'g isv shown. ``This arch'supportis applied-to the shoe 'in the same manner `as the stiffener o; Like thelatter it is bowed longitudinally and is made concave-convextransversely. But it is wider and is so bulged near its forward end asto form a hump h, the hollow side of which provides a pocket in which apad may be placed to support the metatarsal arch of the foot. Theinvention may likewise be embodied in shoes where the convex curvatureof the stiffener is turned toward the innersole; in at stiffeners; inlso called composite Shanks composed of a leather or berboard body pieceand a steel reinforcing strip, and in arch supports which are worninside of shoes to support fallen arches of the wearers feet.

An equivalent embossed or pebbled configuration may be applied to themid length part only of the shank stiffener instead of throughout theentire length thereof, if desired, for it is in the middle portionparticularly that the need and utility of this configuration exists. Bymiddle portion in this explanation I mean so much of the length asconstitutes a major part thereof but terminates short of either or bothends as, for example, so much of the length of the stiffener as iscomprised between the points 1c and Z in Fig. 2.

The shank stiffener herein described was rst disclosed in my priorapplication filed June 13, 1936, Serial No. 85,104, of which the presentapplication is a continuation as to that subject matter.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The process of shoe making which comprises providing af shankstiifener having an embossed surface with shallow channels between andaround the embossments, applying cement between the embossed surface ofsuch stiffener and the surface of a sole of the shoe, and applying thesole with pressure between it and the stiffener such that the embossedprojections of the latter penetrate substantially through the cementcoating into contactrwith the adjacent surface of said sole, leavingridges of cement in the channels.

2. In the manufacture of a shoe, the steps of providing a metal shankstiffener having an embossed surface with shallow channels, the depth ofwhich is in the order of a few thousandths of an inch, between andaround the protuberances of such embossed surface, laying a sole and aninterposed layer of cement'against the embossed side of such stiffenerso that the protuberances of the latter pass substantially through thecement layer into contact with the surface of the sole, and holding thesole and stiiener together during setting of the cement.

3. In shoe making, the steps of applying to the bottom of a lasted shoe,prior to application of the outer sole, a metal shank stiffener havingan embossed surface with shallow channels between the protuberances,applying a layer of cement to the embossed surface of the stiffener, andpressing an outer sole against the cemented stiffener so that theprotuberances of the latter penetrate substantially through the cementinto contact with the outer sole and the cement, after drying, forms anetwork embracing the projections of the embossed stiffener.

4. A shoe including in its constructi-on a sole and metallic shankstiifener, said shank stiffener having its surface next to the soleformed with embossments and intermediate valleys of a depth which is buta small fraction of the thickness of the stiifener, and being in contactwith the adjacent surfaoe of the sole only at the summits of vsuchembossments, and the sole having adherent ridges of cement occupyingchannels and embracing projections of the embossed stiiener.

5. A shoe including a sole and a metal shank stiifener or arch support,said stiffener having in its surface next to the sole a network ofcommunicating narrow and shallow channels, and the adjacent surface ofthe sole having ribs of cement moldedin said channels and of" such smallheight as to be non-brittle and flexible.

6. A metal shank stiffener or arch support for use in shoes having inone surface a network of connected channels of narrow width and a depthwhich is a small fraction of the thickness of the stiifener, suchchannels being adapted to form a matrix for cement ridges when appliedto the surface of a shoe sole against an interposed layer of cement, andthe material of the stiffener between the channels providing amultiplicity of contact areas. y

7. A metal shank stiffener or arch support for use in shoes, having onone face a multiplicity of llow protuberances separated from one anotherby intermediate Valleys or channels, the summits of such protuberancesbeing smooth and of nearly as large area as their bases and of suchsmall area that a plurality of them are adapted to bear on the surfaceof an adjacent shoe sole both lengthwise and transversely of thestiffener.

8. A metal shank stifener or arch support for use in shoes, having onone face a multiplicity of low protuberances separated from one anotherby intermediate valleys or channels, the summits of such protuberancesbeing smooth and of nearly as large area as their bases and of suchsmall area that a plurality of them are adapted to bear on the surfaceof an adjacent shoe sole both lengthwise and transversely of thestiffener, such channels being adapted to receive cement when thestiffener is pressed against a cement coated shoe sole, and their depthbeing in the order of a few thousandths of an inch whereby the ribs ofsuch cement molded therein'are non-brittle and iiexible after setting.

WILLIAM H. NICKERSON

